If you've been out to the Shanghai suburbs this year, you may have noticed something a bit unusual for the city: the rivers don't stink anymore. This is no coincidence. Shanghai Party Secretary Han Zheng has announced a citywide effort to clean up all polluted and odorous rivers by 2020.
China ranks its rivers on a six point scale, with 1 being drinkable and 6 being heavily contaminated. Just a year ago, 57 percent of Shanghai's waterways were rated a 5 or above. That percentage was down to 35 when measured this October. "Most of [the rivers] are near urban-rural areas, outskirt towns, industrial sites and livestock farms, which will become the main target of the citywide water cleaning campaign," said deputy director of the Shanghai Water Authority Liu Xiaotao.
Clean-up measures include dredging polluted rivers, removing floating pollutants, building separate sewage and rainwater pipes, erecting bridges as well as demolishing illegal structures and factories on the riverside. 8,500 square meters of illegal structures along the 2.2-kilometer-long Tangjiabang River, which runs through Minhang's tourist-friendly Qibao old town, were demolished this year. Sewage pipelines have been built and trees have been planted along the riverbanks.
In addition to the above clean-up measures, anyone found polluting Shanghai's rivers will be subject to 'severe punishment.’
[Image via Shanghai Daily]
